At a recent town hall, both leading Democratic candidates for the governorship of Wisconsin, state Rep.Francesca Hong and former Lieutenant Gov.
Mandela Barnes, pledged to abolish the school choice program in their state.Meanwhile, the progressive legal organization Law Forward filed a suit that could end the Dairy State’s school choice programs, alleging that these programs run afoul of the state constitution.The 2000 state supreme court ruling that permitted vouchers did so only so long as the state legislature provides "sufficient resources" to traditional public schools.
Even though the state currently funds Milwaukee Public Schools to the tune of $25,000 per student, Law Forward alleges that these resources are insufficient.Wisconsin’s highest court may be primed to agree — the court flipped to a progressive majority in 2023.Were either effort to succeed, it would be a travesty for the 60,000 students who currently enroll in one of Wisconsin’s choice programs and a stain upon the Democratic Party’s record.It would signal that the party would rather cave to pressure from teachers unions and progressives than actually serve student needs.WISCONSIN STATE SUPERINTENDENT CALLS FOR SCHOOL CHOICE TO BE 'ELIMINATED'The left is looking to roll back gains in school choice all around the nation.
One of their first targets is Wisconsin.(iStock)Milwaukee boasts the nation’s first voucher program after Republican Gov.
Tommy Thompson teamed up with local civil rights groups to pass a choice policy in 1990.Notably, it was a civil rights framing, not appeals to libertarian or religious concerns, that won support.In his book "Voucher Wars," attorney Clint Bolick tells of the rows of African-American parents who supported the voucher by attending every court meeting.
The Wall Street Journal ran three op-eds in support of the initiative and Bolick writes that "for the first time in a major national media outlet, the civil rights banner was unfurled over the school...